The 100 Best Movies Ever – Das Boot (#63)

Lists are great. They inspire discussion, create arguments, and tend to spiral off into fun new lists. When you do a list about the “BEST” of anything it goes from being fun to becoming a hotbed for arguments. There’s no such thing as a definitive list but I’ve decided to pull from my rather extensive life of film watching and put it to good use.

This is not the “film critic’s top 100″ list. There’s no guarantee Citizen Kane or The Bicycle Thief will be in the top echelon or even on the list. This is the 100 movies I would put my name on as my top 100. If I died tomorrow this would represent the 100 films I find most vital, special, or ones that bonded to whatever it is that makes me me. I’m not including documentaries, though that might make for a nice supplemental list.

The first 80 will be in no particular order. The last 20 will be in very particular order. One a day, you have my word.

#63 – Das Boot

Oh you need more reasons? Wolfgang Petersen’s epic WWII submarine movie is astonishing and a game changer. No submarine movie was even close before and no submarine movie ever made for the rest of time will not owe a debt to it. It’s a phenomenal, beautiful, fantastic work of sheer precision. And surprisingly entertaining considering the subject. It’s available in a wide variety of lengths and cuts but it’s a rare care of a film where is no bad cut.

A great, great flick. And watch it only in German and preferably in the longest cut.

Moments to savor:

The bitter end. The smaller moments of life on a submarine. The claustrophobia. The captain chastising his younger sailors. Not to savor, but when they torch a doomed ship and then leave the survivors to die horribly at sea is a harrowing scene.

Rewatchability:

Moderate. In its longest form it’s quite an endeavor.

Miscellany:

Six nominations and no wins. It got beat by the likes of Missing, Gandhi, and E.T. This is a better movie .

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